{"id":17279,"date":"2023-09-01T12:18:13","date_gmt":"2023-09-01T12:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/?p=17279"},"modified":"2023-09-01T12:18:13","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T12:18:13","slug":"bfc-fintech-monitor-august-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/bfc-fintech-monitor-august-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"BFC FinTech Monitor (August 2023)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Stay up-to-date on all the latest FinTech news and information from around the world in the BFC FinTech Monitor.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Around the World<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>#Reports and Studies<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>According to the KPMG\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/assets.kpmg.com\/content\/dam\/kpmg\/xx\/pdf\/2023\/07\/global-pulse-of-fintech-h123-report-web.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Pulse of Fintech H1 2023 Report<\/em><\/a>, funding for fintechs fell to USD 52.4 billion in the first half of 2023 due to a \u201ccloud of uncertainty\u201d hanging over investors.<\/li>\n<li>A recent Morgan Stanley analytical\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coindesk.com\/markets\/2023\/08\/08\/ai-will-be-one-of-the-most-important-investment-themes-over-the-next-decade-morgan-stanley\/?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=feedly&amp;utm_campaign=headlines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a>\u00a0declares that artificial intelligence and related technologies will transform all industries and become one of the most important investment topics within the next 10 years.<\/li>\n<li>Juniper Research is predicting that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thepaypers.com\/payments-general\/banking-as-a-platform-market-revenue-set-to-grow-to-usd-49-bln-by-2028--1263785\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">banking-as-a-service<\/a>\u00a0(BaaS) platform market revenue will grow by 1125% to reach USD 49 billion by 2028.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>#Payments<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thepaypers.com\/cryptocurrencies\/bis-works-with-ripple-for-a-cross-border-payment-task-force--1263851\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">establishing<\/a>\u00a0a task force to enhance the interoperability and efficiency of cross-border payments.<\/li>\n<li>Apple is expanding Apple Pay\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thepaypers.com\/mobile-payments\/apple-expands-tap-to-pay-solution-to-netherlands--1264009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tap-to-pay<\/a>\u00a0functionality by allowing users to accept contactless card payments with the simple press of a button on their iPhone. Currently, this option is available to users in the Netherlands.<\/li>\n<li>Regulators in Cambodia and Laos have launched the first phase of a project allowing users to make cross-border payments using\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thepaypers.com\/online-payments\/cambodia-and-laos-launch-cross-border-qr-code-payments--1263951\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">QR codes<\/a>. The central banks of Singapore and Indonesia are\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.finextra.com\/newsarticle\/42805\/indonesia-and-singapore-set-to-introduce-qr-code-payments?utm_medium=rssfinextra&amp;utm_source=finextrafeed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">planning<\/a>\u00a0to implement a similar project in the near future.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>#Artificial Intelligence (AI)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Meta has introduced\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2023\/08\/22\/meta-releases-an-ai-model-that-can-transcribe-and-translate-close-to-100-languages\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SeamlessM4T<\/a>, a new AI translation model that supports nearly 100 languages.<\/li>\n<li>Alibaba Cloud has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dig.watch\/updates\/introducing-alibabas-ai-models-qwen-vl-and-qwen-vl-chat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">introduced<\/a>\u00a02 AI models capable of understanding audiovisual content.<\/li>\n<li>Google is developing an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/08\/16\/technology\/google-ai-life-advice.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI assistant<\/a>\u00a0capable of giving advice on education, nutrition, exercise and financial planning.<\/li>\n<li>The Reserve Bank of India is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalgovernmentfintech.com\/reserve-bank-of-india-proposes-ai-powered-conversational-payments-for-upi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">planning<\/a>\u00a0to develop solutions that will allow users to confirm payments as well as issue loans using AI.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>#Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and Decentralized Finance (DeFi)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A joint\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ripple.com\/reports\/Blockchain_and_Crypto_in_Payments.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a>\u00a0by Ripple and the Fast Payments Council has found that blockchain could save financial institutions about USD 10 billion in cross-border payments.<\/li>\n<li>Visa and Mastercard are ending their collaboration with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/finance\/mastercard-binance-end-crypto-card-partnership-2023-08-24\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Binance<\/a>, under which the companies issued crypto cards. Binance has also closed its\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.binance.com\/en\/feed\/post\/972274\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Binance Connect<\/a>\u00a0(formerly Bifinity) buying and selling service and announced that it has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.binance.com\/en-JP\/feed\/post\/1023021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stopped<\/a>\u00a0servicing for its debit cards in a number of countries in Latin America and the Middle East.<\/li>\n<li>July was the worst month for the crypto market. According to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/de.fi\/blog\/de-fi-rekt-report-486m-funds-lost-in-july-2023-top-defi-scams-and-exploits\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">De.Fi<\/a>, losses in July amounted to USD 486 million, six times higher than in July 2022.<\/li>\n<li>Cryptocurrency exchange\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coinbase.com\/blog\/introducing-the-stand-with-crypto-alliance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Coinbase<\/a>\u00a0is creating a human rights organization called Stand with Crypto Alliance, which will work to promote reasonable regulation of the crypto market in the US.<\/li>\n<li>PayPal has introduced a new\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ambcrypto.com\/paypal-to-launch-crypto-hub-as-part-of-its-foray-into-the-market\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Crypto Hub<\/a>\u00a0feature that allows users to store and directly trade cryptocurrencies.<\/li>\n<li>Crypto exchange Huobi plans on integrating\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.huobi.com\/support\/en-us\/detail\/44945804382445\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PayPal<\/a>&#8216;s stablecoin, PYUSD into its options.<\/li>\n<li>Crypto exchange\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/binance-japan-begins-launching-trading-services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Binance<\/a>\u00a0has opened a branch in Japan 2 years after receiving a warning from the Financial Services Agency (FSA) about operating without an appropriate license.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/north-korean-hackers-steal-2b-of-crypto-since-2018-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TRM Labs<\/a>\u00a0has found that North Korean hackers have stolen nearly USD 2 billion worth of cryptocurrencies over the last five years.<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.binance.com\/en\/feed\/post\/959694\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cryptogambling.tv<\/a>\u00a0platform has named Slovenia the \u201cmost crypto-obsessed\u201d state in Europe.<\/li>\n<li>Owners of crypto assets are at risk due to a critical vulnerability in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2023\/08\/23\/winrar-zero-day-funds-brokers\/?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIAulbXxLN9YcfV7W_cW8RyA_gEAxJics75a2jMDd-oW37fPspPdc9Ewsoh-wXjpPf_r-OupMRXNs0MjbuJIjev_PN06ugVC5g-BTwrZCv-8FeMu1XTlqJNuYgzSnvwjDcyoQ0cZY-yulTXo5TKzszJoTJK62rpQNroATX5nfC4F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WinRAR<\/a>\u00a0archiver.<\/li>\n<li>The developers of the Telegram bot\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wallet.tg\/ton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wallet<\/a>\u00a0have demonstrated a beta version of their non-custodial wallet TON Space.<\/li>\n<li>Cloud storage service\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2023\/8\/25\/23845554\/dropbox-ending-unlimited-storage-advanced-plan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dropbox<\/a>\u00a0has disabled its unlimited plan due to cryptocurrency miners.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>#Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.finextra.com\/newsarticle\/42807\/survey-suggests-industry-divided-on-cbdcs?utm_medium=rssfinextra&amp;utm_source=finextrafeed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According<\/a>\u00a0to a CFA Institute study, only 42%finance professionals support the launching of a CBDC.<\/li>\n<li>Mastercard has launched an affiliate program for central banks on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.finextra.com\/newsarticle\/42810\/mastercard-launches-cbdc-partner-programme?utm_medium=rssfinextra&amp;utm_source=finextrafeed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CBDCs<\/a>\u00a0to study how CBDCs interact with other payment mechanisms as well as what problems CBDCs can solve.<\/li>\n<li>The deputy chairman of the Bank of Spain is calling on the European Central Bank (ECB) to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ledgerinsights.com\/bank-of-spain-digital-euro-cbdc-banks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study<\/a>\u00a0the potential impact of launching the digital euro on financial institutions.<\/li>\n<li>The Bank of Canda believes that the introduction of a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ledgerinsights.com\/bank-of-canada-unconvinced-about-retail-cbdc-adoption\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CBDC<\/a>\u00a0is unlikely to make a big difference to Canadians as 98% of Canada\u2019s adult population already has a bank account.<\/li>\n<li>Blockchain startup Soramitsu is exploring new opportunities for using\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/japanese-soramitsu-uses-digital-currency-to-link-asian-countries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CBDCs<\/a>\u00a0in a project to create a cross-border payment system for Asian countries.<\/li>\n<li>ECB is preparing to test settlements with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ledgerinsights.com\/wholesale-cbdc-digital-euro-real-money\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DLT transactions<\/a>\u00a0using a wholesale CBDC.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>#Miscellaneous<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thepaypers.com\/ecommerce\/tiktok-takes-steps-to-obtain-an-indonesian-payments-licence--1263767\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TikTok<\/a>\u00a0intends to obtain a payment license in Indonesia.<\/li>\n<li>Standard Chartered is partnering with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thepaypers.com\/online-mobile-banking\/standard-chartered-partners-with-ant-group--1263662\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ant Group<\/a>\u00a0to promote global sustainability.<\/li>\n<li>Visa is expanding its partnership with digital payment provider\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thepaypers.com\/online-payments\/visa-and-conferma-pay-to-expand-visa-commercial-pay--1263840\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Conferma Pay<\/a>\u00a0to develop the Visa Commercial Pay system, a package of B2B payment solutions for businesses.<\/li>\n<li>Swift has reported significant progress towards its G20 targets, with 89% of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.finextra.com\/pressarticle\/97803\/swift-passes-g20-target-for-cross-border-payments-processing-speed?utm_medium=rssfinextra&amp;utm_source=finextrafeed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">transactions<\/a>\u00a0reaching recipient banks within an hour.<\/li>\n<li>The British Competition and Markets Authority has recognized\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.finextra.com\/newsarticle\/42790\/monzo-beats-all-comers-in-cma-customer-satisfaction-survey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Monzo<\/a>\u00a0as the best bank in the country for servicing personal and business accounts.<\/li>\n<li>The National Assembly of the Central African Republic has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/central-african-republic-expands-sango-project-to-land-resource-tokenization\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">adopted<\/a>\u00a0a law on the tokenization of land and natural resources, allowing citizens and foreigners to quickly open companies and obtain licenses related to the exploitation of natural resources and forestry.<\/li>\n<li>Alipay has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thepaypers.com\/mobile-payments\/alipay-launches-an-updated-international-version-of-its-app--1263939\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">launched<\/a>\u00a0an international version of its app for travelers to China.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Ukraine<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The National Bank of Ukraine has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bank.gov.ua\/ua\/news\/all\/zatverdjeno-kontseptsiyu-vidkritogo-bankingu-v-ukrayini\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">approved<\/a>\u00a0a concept of open banking that is expected to be implemented by August 2025.<\/li>\n<li>Ukraine\u2019s parliament has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ru.interfax.com.ua\/news\/telecom\/928047.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">passed<\/a>\u00a02 bills making virtual assets and digital content objects of civil law, making them subject to the\u00a0<em>Civil Code of Ukraine<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>The fintech conference\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/payinnv.tech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>POWER PAYMENT MEETUP<\/em><\/a>\u00a0will be held in Kyiv on September 12, 2023.<\/li>\n<li>Ukraine has once again been\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/finclub.net\/ua\/news\/60protsent-oplat-v-ukraini-provodiat-smartfonamy-ta-hadzhetamy-z-nfc.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">named<\/a>\u00a0a top-ten country in terms of the number of NFC payments made using Mastercard digital cards, with 6 out of every 10 transactions are made using NFC devices.<\/li>\n<li>Verified users of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/psm7.com\/ru\/fintech\/ukraincy-mogut-konvertirovat-kriptovalyutu-v-nalichnye-dengi.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WhiteBIT<\/a>\u00a0crypto exchange will be able to exchange USDC stablecoin for hryvnias, dollars and euros at MoneyGram branches in Ukraine.<\/li>\n<li>The Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coindesk.com\/consensus-magazine\/2023\/08\/01\/why-mica-is-overly-burdensome-regulation-for-ukraines-crypto-industry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stated<\/a>\u00a0that the requirements of the European cryptocurrency legislation MiCA are too stringent for the Ukrainian blockchain industry and may limit competition in the market.<\/li>\n<li>Ukrainian crypto platform\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/coinpay.ua\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CoinPay<\/a>\u00a0has announced its closure.<\/li>\n<li>Visa and Privatbank have\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/minfin.com.ua\/2023\/08\/03\/110111565\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">presented<\/a>\u00a0the Digital Authentication Framework for the digital authentication of payments in e-commerce.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/psm7.com\/ru\/money\/kartochki-revolut-bolshe-nedostupny-dlya-bezhencev-v-es-prichiny.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revolut<\/a>\u00a0cards are now only available to Ukrainian refugees who can prove their right to reside in the European Union (EU).<\/li>\n<li>PaySpace Magazine has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/psm7.com\/ru\/articles\/kriptogranty-zachem-oni-nuzhny-i-o-kakix-summax-rech.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published<\/a>\u00a0an article about the largest grant programs in the fields of Web3 and cryptocurrency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Kazakhstan<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The National Bank of Kazakhstan is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lsm.kz\/tcifrovoi-tenge-nacbank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">preparing to launch<\/a>\u00a0a pilot digital tenge platform in collaboration with commercial banks. The regulator has already\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/news\/tsifrovoj-tenge-prezentovali-v-vysshej-auditorskoj-palate-kazahstana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">presented<\/a>\u00a0the CBDC to the Supreme Audit Chamber.<\/li>\n<li>SME Banking Agency has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.akchabar.kg\/ru\/news\/prilozhenie-dlya-biznesa-ot-halyk-banka-i-jusan-bank-stali-odnimi-iz-luchshih\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ranked<\/a>\u00a03 mobile banks from Kazakhstan among the best in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.<\/li>\n<li>Kazakh company S1lkPay has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forbes.kz\/economy\/startups\/kazahstanskiy_startap_poluchil_v_ssha_patent_na_svoyu_platejnuyu_sistemu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">received<\/a>\u00a0a US patent for an \u201cinnovative method and system for distributed payment processing using a centralized payment processing platform&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>The volume of non-cash\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/time.kz\/news\/economics\/2023\/08\/10\/obem-beznalichnyh-tranzaktsij-za-polugodie-v-kazahstane-vyros-do-63-1-trln-tenge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">transactions<\/a>\u00a0in the first half of 2023 has increased to KZT 63.1 trillion, up from KZT 43.9 trillion a year ago.<\/li>\n<li>The Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/plusworld.ru\/articles\/56570\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">planning<\/a>\u00a0to create an anti-fraud center as well as strengthen security requirements for mobile banking apps.<\/li>\n<li>Bank CenterCredit has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tengrinews.kz\/money\/onlayn-ipoteka-za-1-den-ot-banka-tsentrkredit-506246\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">launched<\/a>\u00a0an online mortgage service.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Kyrgyzstan<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>President Sadyr Japarov has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/happycoin.club\/v-kirgizii-postroyat-fermu-dlya-majninga-kriptovalyut-za-20-mln\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">approved<\/a>\u00a0the construction of a mining farm at Kambar-Ata HPP. A total of USD 20 million will be invested for the project.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/+A0-4MsfBEPMyY2Yy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Registration<\/a>\u00a0for the\u00a0<em>Startup Nation<\/em>\u00a0hackathon is open until September 14, 2023. The event will be held in Bishkek September 16\u201317, 2023.<\/li>\n<li>The Financial Supervision Authority has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.akchabar.kg\/ru\/news\/skolko-uzhe-v-kfr-operatorov-virtualnyh-aktivov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">issued<\/a>\u00a0licenses to Crypto Ford and M-Trade for activities related to the exchange of virtual assets.<\/li>\n<li>Kyrgyz miners have replenished the country&#8217;s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.akchabar.kg\/ru\/news\/v-iyune-majnery-popolnili-byudzhet-na-105-mln-somov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">budget<\/a>\u00a0with more than KGS 33 million in 6 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Tajikistan<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tajik banks are negotiating with Russian partners to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tass.ru\/ekonomika\/18493809\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">connect<\/a>\u00a0to the Fast Payment System.<\/li>\n<li>The share of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/asiaplustj.info\/ru\/news\/tajikistan\/economic\/20230821\/besproblemnaya-beznalichka-vlasti-govoryat-o-gotovnosti-k-perehodu-zhiteli-zhaluyutsya-na-trudnosti\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">non-cash payments<\/a>\u00a0doubled in the first half of 2023.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Uzbekistan<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Fintechno telegram channel has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ruposters.ru\/news\/31-07-2023\/sostavlena-karta-fintehrinka-uzbekistana-top-samih-populyarnih-finansovih-prilozhenii\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published a map<\/a>\u00a0of the fintech market in Uzbekistan. The map is based on the 50 most popular financial apps in the country.<\/li>\n<li>The Upper House of Parliament has\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.uzdaily.uz\/ru\/post\/78879\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">approved<\/a>\u00a0a law regulating crypto assets, with mining pools, crypto-exchanges, crypto-depositories, crypto-shops and mining operations designated as new types and sub-types of licensed activities that require licensing.<\/li>\n<li>The National Agency for Perspective Projects of Uzbekistan has issued a license for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/news\/kriptovalyutnyj-obmennik-c-base-poluchil-litsenziyu-v-uzbekistane\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">C-BASE<\/a>\u00a0to operate a crypto shop.<\/li>\n<li>Kapitalbank, Mastercard and UzNEX crypto-exchange have\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spot.uz\/ru\/2023\/08\/17\/kapitalbank\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">launched<\/a>\u00a0the first cryptocurrency card in Uzbekistan.<\/li>\n<li>The conference\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/it-park.uz\/ru\/itpark\/news\/it-park-priglashaet-na-uzbekistan-it-days-v-niderlandah-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Uzbekistan IT Days<\/em><\/a>, which is dedicated to the IT sector of Uzbekistan, will be held in Amsterdam on September 27, 2023.<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/plusworld.ru\/articles\/56601\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Uzcard<\/a>\u00a0app is now called Plum and offers users virtual cards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Azerbaijan<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Neobank\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forbes.ua\/ru\/news\/pershiy-rinok-z-milyonom-klientiv-ta-prichini-skorochen-forbes-diznavsya-detali-biznesu-fintech-farm-dmitra-dubileta-u-azerbaydzhani-vetnami-ta-nigerii-09082023-15334\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Leobank<\/a>\u00a0has attracted 1 million customers in Azerbaijan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Georgia<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The National Bank of Georgia is inviting students and financial professionals to participate in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nbg.gov.ge\/en\/media\/news\/national-bank-of-georgia-partners-with-10x1000-tech-for-inclusion-to-offer-fintech-foundat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Fintech Foundation Program Flex<\/em><\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Moldova<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The head of the National Bank of Moldova&#8217;s financial technologies department has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ipn.md\/ru\/open-banking-budet-dostupen-v-moldove-so-sleduyushchego-goda-7966_1098771.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stated<\/a>\u00a0that Moldova plans to switch to open banking next\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.infotag.md\/finances-ro\/309757\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">year<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/gigahack.md\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>DeepTech GigaHack<\/em><\/a>\u00a0hackathon, which focuses on energytech, fintech, healthtech, biotech, AI and big data, will be held in Chisinau September 9\u201310, 2023.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"rpbt_shortcode\">\n\n<div id='rpbt-related-gallery-1' class='gallery related-gallery related-galleryid-17279 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item' role='group' aria-label='First payments through Telegram Messenger in Kazakhstan'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/first-payments-through-messenger-in-kazakhstan\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/maxresdefault-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"rpbt-related-gallery-1-3674\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='rpbt-related-gallery-1-3674'>\n\t\t\t\tFirst payments through Telegram Messenger in Kazakhstan\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item' role='group' aria-label='Kazakh FinTech business opportunities being driven to other countries'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/kazakh-fintech-business-opportunities-being-driven-to-other-countries\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/female-legs-in-sneakers-on-the-rail-of-the-railway_1421-272-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"rpbt-related-gallery-1-9260\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='rpbt-related-gallery-1-9260'>\n\t\t\t\tKazakh FinTech business opportunities being driven to other countries\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item' role='group' aria-label='AI\u2019s Potential for Dishonesty Highlighted in Stunning Demonstration'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/ais-potential-for-dishonesty-highlighted-in-stunning-demonstration\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/edb7d7d3-29e0-5f1c-0e3d-58b9aa4ad1981-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"rpbt-related-gallery-1-17388\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='rpbt-related-gallery-1-17388'>\n\t\t\t\tAI\u2019s Potential for Dishonesty Highlighted in Stunning Demonstration\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stay up-to-date on all the latest FinTech news and information from around the world in the BFC FinTech Monitor. Around the World #Reports and Studies According to the KPMG\u00a0Pulse of Fintech H1 2023 Report, funding for fintechs fell to USD 52.4 billion in the first half of 2023 due to a \u201ccloud of uncertainty\u201d hanging &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":17263,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[473],"tags":[80,399,184,35,30,70,75],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17279"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17279"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17279\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17280,"href":"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17279\/revisions\/17280"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulletins.bfconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}